Chaffer screen leveling device for combines



Oct. 12, 1954 R. r. OLIVER 2,691,444

CHFFER SCREEN LEVELING DEVICE FOR COMBINES Filed on. 29, 1952 2Sheets-Sheet l ATTORN EY Oct. 12, 1954 R. T. OLIVER CHAFFER SCREENLEVELING DEVICE FOR COMBINES med oct. 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LasINVENTOR.

ROY T OLIVER ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 12, 1954 Si; J.

ATENTv OFFICE CHAFFER SCREEN LEVELING DEVICE FOR CGMBENES Roy T. Oliver,Portland, Oreg.

Application October 29, 1952, Serial No. 317,545

of the chaer screen, due tothe fact that the' combine is caused to leantowards one side due to hillside operation, but with this new andimproved levelling device, the chafer screen is kept on a level plane,thereby completely separating. the grain from the chair even though thecombine is not level.

With my new and improved levelling device, the chaifer screen ispivotally mounted longitudinally of the combine. The screen beingmaintained in a transverse level condition regardless of the unevennessof the ground surface.

ln maintaining this level, a weight is pivotally mounted to the combinein such a manner as to maintain the chaffer screen level by the use ofcables connecting the said screens to the weight. By the use of cablesfor interconnecting the screen with the weight, minor movements orvibrations are absorbed Within the cable system, eliminating undesirableoscillations of the screen.

rl'hese and other incidental objects will be apparent in the drawings,specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a combine, partially broken away forillustrating my new and improved levelling device associated with thechaffer screen.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken on line 2 2 ofFigure 1, illustrating my new and improved levelling device.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the levelling device, taken online 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan View of the weight for controlling thedevice, taken on line Cl-ll of FigureZ.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view illustrating how thechaffer screen is mounted to the shaker shoe within the combine.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary enlarged View of one corner of the screen,illustrating a special fitting to which the cables are attached.

Referring more specifically to the drawings:

A conventional type of combine is illustrated by numeral l. The usualshaker shoe is illustrated by numeral 2 and supported within the combinebody by the usual rocker arm 3. This shoe operates forward and backwardwithin the combine and is operated by the usual mechanism not hereshown. Ordinarily the chaifer screen of the combine is Xedly securedwithin this shoe by various mechanical methods, but my inventionconsists of mounting the chaffer screen l within the shoe by thefollowing method.

Transverse bars 5 are xedly connected to the sides of the shoe at t? byany suitable means, as for instance welding, or they may be boltedthereto. There are two of these transverse bars, one forward of thescreen and one aft ofthe screen.

The chai-fer screen is mounted to a shaft 'i ruiming longitudinally ofthe combine and journalled within the bearings 8, which are mounted uponthe transverse bars 5, as best illustrated in Figures l, 2 and 5. Thescreen l is secured to the shaft l by the hangers which have set screwsE@ for locking the same to the shaft,

lThe sides or edges H of the screen operate within the shields i2. Theobject of these shields is to prevent the grain from getting by the edgeof the screen when the said screen operates within its entire range ofoperation. The upper edges of the shields are brought towards the shoe 2at it and secured thereto, as best illustrated in Figure 2, and aiiixedto the shoe at M along its lower edge by any suitable means, as forinstance welding. l

In order to maintain the screen on a level plane, I have mounted aweight l5 to the shaft I6 by way of the special bifurcated member il,which is keyed to the said shaft i5. The weight itself being supportedby the lever arm I8, which in turn is pivctally connected to the memberIl by the cross pin It, permitting a fore and aft movement of the weightwhile going up or down hill. The shaft i6 is journalled within bearings2li, which are mounted to the U-shaped hangers il. These hangers aresecured to the combine by any suitable means, as by welding or bolting.

Cables ,2li are xedly secured to each edge of the screen d by way of thel-bolts 23 at their one end, and are trained about the idler pulleys Ztland connected to the hanger lever i8 by way of the springs 25. Thesprings being hooked into the desired opening 2t formed in the lever l,as best illustrated in Figures 2 and 4. rI'he pulleys 24 are journalledto the cross shafts 27, as best illustrated in Figure 3.

In the operation of my new and improved levelling device for chafferscreens, when the combine is level the screen is in the position asillustrated in the drawings, but in the eve-nt the cornbine should leanto one side due to a hillside surface, the lever arm i3 would bemaintained in a vertical position by the weight lli, and the 3 chaiferscreen would be maintained level by the cables 22. The screen 4 beingmaintained in level condition due to the position of the Weight I5 inregards to the vertical center line of the combine.

The object of providing the spring units 25 is to absorb ordinaryundesirable movements or shocks. These springs absorb shocks that wouldordinarily impart a severe jerking movement to the cables and to thescreen 4, as for instance the forward and backward movement of the shoe.

I do not Wish to have the gravity Weight confused vvth a pendulumaction, The weight remains stationary regarding a vertical axis holdingthe chaffer screen stationary in regards to a horizontal action throughcable connections. The only movement being the movement of the combineon either side of its vertical axis While travelling over uneven ground.If the Weight were considered a pendulum action, the Weight Would bemoving from side to side on a vertical axis, but as stated above theweight remains stationary depending on gravity for holding the same inthis vertical stationary position.

What is claimed is:

l. In a combine, the combination with a shaker shoe of a chafer screenpivotally mounted Within said shoe on pivot means centrally of saidscreen and disposed on an axis extending longitudinally of the directionof combine movement, arcuate shields on each side of said shoe andclosely positioned to the edges of said screen, said shields having acurvature substantially on a radius of the pivotal axis of said screen,a weight controlled by gravity, said gravity Weight means including ashaft mounted on the combine parallel to and in a vertical plane withsaid screen pivot means, a hanger pivotally suspended from said shaft, aweight on said hanger, and means connecting said hanger with said screenfor holding said screen level regardless of the transverse vertical axisof the combine.

2. In a combine as defined in claim l, said hanger and screen connectingmeans comprising a pair of guide pulleys disposed on opposite sides ofsaid hanger, and ilexible connections between said hanger and theopposite side portions of said screen and trained around said pulleys,said ilexible connections being resilient to dampen vibrations andpermit limited free movement of the weight.

3. In a combine as defined in claim 2, said hanger comprising a partpivoted on said shaft and a part fixed to said weight, and a pivotalconnection between said parts to permit swinging of the weightlongitudinally of combine movement.

4. In a combine as defined in claim 3, said hanger having at least oneaperture and said flexible connections comprising cables secured to saidscreen and trained around said pulleys, and coil springs on the ends ofsaid cables and hooked on said hanger aperture.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 509,082 I-Ieald Nov. 21, 1803 1,058,016 Renfro Apr. l, 19131,122,803 Rhodes Dec. 29, 1914 2,587,918 Stout Mar, 4, 1952

